Entertainment and Controversy-No Holds Barred!

It’s been awhile. I’ve been pre-occupied with various projects– the latest of which is my first documentary film, “Because Of Xena.” But last night was different; last night I was pre-occupied with the news of Mindy McCready’s suicide, and the (mostly negative) reactions blowing up the Twitterverse.

I’ll admit, when I first heard of the tragic news, I retweeted the breaking news article with these words: “Another of @drdrew patients gone.” My intentions were not meant to be malicious however– not like the thousands of tweets which followed.

The unflattering comparison was reported by Perez Hilton some 10 hours ago via washed up musician, Richard Marx. Hilton’s opening statement, “Whoa. This might be a bit harsh,” is 100% accurate. The slew of hateful comments directed at Dr. Drew, along with Marx’s Kevorkian comparison, are grossly unjust. The aforementioned accusations only prove how seriously uneducated society is when it comes to mental illness and drug addiction. It is because of this that stigma continues to linger in the 21st century.

What of those who are not celebrities? I hate to break it to you, but there are thousands of faces in the crowd suffering in silence.

Men are nearly 4 times more likely to die by suicide than women. Women attempt suicide 3 times as often as men.

Now here’s a sad truth: It wouldn’t have mattered whether it was Dr. Drew, Carl Jung, or Freud himself who treated Mindy McCready. The patient must be held accountable for their own actions. They must choose to continue treatment and follow doctors orders. Does this mean they will? Certainly not. That’s the price of mental illness itself and the stigma which follows behind it.

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You’ll probably like my blog about Mindy’s Bipolar and why celebrity rehab may not have been the best thing for her if the focus was not on her mental illness—when you remove the alcohol the bipolar is left with their mind and nothing to numb it..that is why rehab without a serious psych componant rarely works for bipolars…read if you want!!

It is tough for someone that is in their right mind to understand someone who is not. Depression causes physical pain that the suicidal person can’t see past. Suicide then becomes less a choice than a lack of options.

We must battle the stigma so more people will be willing to seek and stick to treatment. My son died by suicide this past year and am determined that his life count by continuing to confront the stigma.

I am so very sorry to hear about the loss of your son. My heart breaks for you and your family. You are not alone in your plight however. Your determination is courageous, but the journey will be a long one. There is so much to be done– and in some cases, undone. Specifically after the Sandy Hook shooting. Fighting against the mass media, most of which are just as uneducated as the rest of society, is going to be tough. But it only needs to begin with simplicity. For example– correcting people during conversation. Education. Here is a link for you and your family. I hope it will help you both in your mourning and on your journey.